How to Use & Cook With Lemongrass: A Recipe Guide (2024)

FAQs

How to use lemongrass in cooking? ›

Lemongrass is often finely chopped or pounded in order to break down the tough stalks. Once minced or pounded, lemongrass can be added to marinades or grilled meats for a touch of sweet citrusy flavor or used to brighten curry pastes and simple sauces. Powdered lemongrass works here too.

Lemongrass helps soups, salads, and curries pop, and it's also used to add a citrusy flavor to roasted meats. The outer leaves can also be dried and brewed into a tea, or chopped fresh and utilized in a co*cktail.

You can use lemongrass whole, sliced or pounded to a paste. To use whole, slice off the very bottom of the stalk, and peel off any dried-out layers, then bash the woody top end with a rolling pin to soften, and help release some of the aromatic oils. Whole freeze-dried lemongrass can be prepared in the same way.

Make Use of the Upper Stalk

Simply make several superficial cuts along the length of the stalk with your serrated knife. Then, holding the lemongrass at either end, gently bend it several times to "bruise" it. This will release the fragrance and flavor. Now throw the stalk into your soup or curry pot.

Lemongrass, particularly its citronella oil, is effective as a natural mosquito repellent, but its effectiveness may vary depending on factors such as concentration and individual susceptibility.

Lemongrass is used for treating digestive tract spasms, stomachache, high blood pressure, convulsions, pain, vomiting, cough, achy joints (rheumatism), fever, the common cold, and exhaustion. It is also used to kill germs and as a mild astringent.

Use it in marinades and dressings: Lemongrass can be combined with other ingredients like garlic, ginger, and soy sauce to create a flavorful marinade for meats or a zesty dressing for salads.

Within ten days or so, they grow new, bright-green blades. Or you may store good-quality, cut lemongrass in the refrigerator, tightly wrapped, for up to 2 weeks. Buy extra and freeze it indefinitely: Although a little perfume and freshness may be lost, the unique flavor remains—and the grass is easier to cut.

Lemongrass is most closely associated with Southeast Asian cooking — especially Thai, Vietnamese, Burmese, Lao, Malaysian and Indonesian cuisines.

How do you eat lemongrass? Lemongrass can actually be eaten raw, and is a popular ingredient in Thai salads like Yum Takrai, a spicy seafood salad with lemongrass and ginger. Raw lemongrass can be tough if not prepared properly, however, so always remove the outer woody stem, and slice as thinly as possible.

How to cook with fresh lemongrass? ›

Press the stem with the flat side of a knife to bruise and release the flavour. This is essential when infusing soups and syrups. To prepare lemon grass for stir-frying, cut the pale section across the fibres. Freeze the green ends to infuse milk for custards.

If this is the case, wait until early spring for lemongrass pruning and cut all the leaves away, right down to the tender white part of the stalk. This may look extreme when you do it, but before long, fresh growth should come in to replace all that lost material.

While a small amount of lemongrass is not likely to cause any harm, ingesting too much can lead to digestive issues such as diarrhea and vomiting. In addition, lemongrass can also cause liver damage in some dogs.

Lemongrass is said to taste like mild citrus with a hint of ginger. Named so for its lemony aroma, this herb actually possesses the same oils as the lemon fruit and is often used as a substitute for lemon flavoring. Fresh lemongrass may also offer notes of bright floral and cooling mint.

Fresh versus dried lemongrass: what's the difference? Fresh lemongrass is definitely best, giving foods a more citrusy, bright and minty flavour. Whereas dried lemongrass makes foods taste more woody, and tends to lose its flavour faster. If you're cooking a stir-fry or curry, opt for fresh lemongrass.